Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin

Hydrocarbon micro-migration within source rock layers is an important pathway for shale oil enrichment, and the resulting geochemical effects provide strong evidence for its occurrence. To verify the existence of hydrocarbon micro-migration in the deep sag area of the Biyang Sag of Nanxiang Basin an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dongmei ZHANG, Shuifu LI, Yanyan ZHANG, Peng SU, Changran ZHOU
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Editorial Office of Petroleum Geology and Experiment 2025-07-01
Series:Shiyou shiyan dizhi
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.sysydz.net/cn/article/doi/10.11781/sysydz2025040847
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850065702902300672
author Dongmei ZHANG
Shuifu LI
Yanyan ZHANG
Peng SU
Changran ZHOU
author_facet Dongmei ZHANG
Shuifu LI
Yanyan ZHANG
Peng SU
Changran ZHOU
author_sort Dongmei ZHANG
collection DOAJ
description Hydrocarbon micro-migration within source rock layers is an important pathway for shale oil enrichment, and the resulting geochemical effects provide strong evidence for its occurrence. To verify the existence of hydrocarbon micro-migration in the deep sag area of the Biyang Sag of Nanxiang Basin and to investigate the enrichment mechanism of shale oil, the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in wells BY1 and Cheng 2 was selected as the research object. By using geochemical analysis methods such as rock pyrolysis, extraction and chromatographic techniques, chromatography-mass spectrometry, and rock thin-section observation, the existence of hydrocarbon micro-migration within the shale layer in the study area and its resulting geochemical effects were revealed. The results indicated that, based on the relationship between pyrolytically desorbed hydrocarbon (S1) and total organic carbon (TOC), hydrocarbon micro-migration within the shale layer in the study area was divided into three types: weak hydrocarbon expulsion (type Ⅰ), strong hydrocarbon expulsion (type Ⅱ), and indigenous hydrocarbons (type Ⅲ), and their corresponding hydrocarbon expulsion intensities were quantitatively calculated. The geochemical characteristics of the three types of hydrocarbon micro-migration were as follows: type Ⅲ samples had the highest saturate/aromatic ratio, type Ⅱ samples had the lowest saturate/aromatic ratio, and type Ⅰ samples were in between. The ratio of n-alkane nC19 to methylphenanthrene (MP) showed a similar pattern. Additionally, rock thin-section observation further confirmed that type Ⅲ samples contained more reservoir space, allowing for indigenous hydrocarbon influx and storage. Type Ⅱ samples developed fractures, enabling smooth expulsion of oil and gas. Type Ⅰ samples had small pore and throat radii, low permeability, high capillary resistance, and undeveloped fractures, leading to poor expulsion capacity, which aligned with their resulting geochemical effects.
format Article
id doaj-art-2bfd97f9eb9647f889c0e87ddffc8f34
institution DOAJ
issn 1001-6112
language zho
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Editorial Office of Petroleum Geology and Experiment
record_format Article
series Shiyou shiyan dizhi
spelling doaj-art-2bfd97f9eb9647f889c0e87ddffc8f342025-08-20T02:48:57ZzhoEditorial Office of Petroleum Geology and ExperimentShiyou shiyan dizhi1001-61122025-07-0147484785610.11781/sysydz2025040847sysydz-47-4-847Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang BasinDongmei ZHANG0Shuifu LI1Yanyan ZHANG2Peng SU3Changran ZHOU4School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, Hubei 430074, ChinaSchool of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, Hubei 430074, ChinaSchool of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, Hubei 430074, ChinaSchool of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, Hubei 430074, ChinaSchool of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, Hubei 430074, ChinaHydrocarbon micro-migration within source rock layers is an important pathway for shale oil enrichment, and the resulting geochemical effects provide strong evidence for its occurrence. To verify the existence of hydrocarbon micro-migration in the deep sag area of the Biyang Sag of Nanxiang Basin and to investigate the enrichment mechanism of shale oil, the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in wells BY1 and Cheng 2 was selected as the research object. By using geochemical analysis methods such as rock pyrolysis, extraction and chromatographic techniques, chromatography-mass spectrometry, and rock thin-section observation, the existence of hydrocarbon micro-migration within the shale layer in the study area and its resulting geochemical effects were revealed. The results indicated that, based on the relationship between pyrolytically desorbed hydrocarbon (S1) and total organic carbon (TOC), hydrocarbon micro-migration within the shale layer in the study area was divided into three types: weak hydrocarbon expulsion (type Ⅰ), strong hydrocarbon expulsion (type Ⅱ), and indigenous hydrocarbons (type Ⅲ), and their corresponding hydrocarbon expulsion intensities were quantitatively calculated. The geochemical characteristics of the three types of hydrocarbon micro-migration were as follows: type Ⅲ samples had the highest saturate/aromatic ratio, type Ⅱ samples had the lowest saturate/aromatic ratio, and type Ⅰ samples were in between. The ratio of n-alkane nC19 to methylphenanthrene (MP) showed a similar pattern. Additionally, rock thin-section observation further confirmed that type Ⅲ samples contained more reservoir space, allowing for indigenous hydrocarbon influx and storage. Type Ⅱ samples developed fractures, enabling smooth expulsion of oil and gas. Type Ⅰ samples had small pore and throat radii, low permeability, high capillary resistance, and undeveloped fractures, leading to poor expulsion capacity, which aligned with their resulting geochemical effects.https://www.sysydz.net/cn/article/doi/10.11781/sysydz2025040847ud shaleintra-layer micro-migrationgeochemical effectno. 5 shale layerbiyang sagnanxiang basin
spellingShingle Dongmei ZHANG
Shuifu LI
Yanyan ZHANG
Peng SU
Changran ZHOU
Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin
Shiyou shiyan dizhi
ud shale
intra-layer micro-migration
geochemical effect
no. 5 shale layer
biyang sag
nanxiang basin
title Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin
title_full Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin
title_fullStr Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin
title_full_unstemmed Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin
title_short Geochemical effects of intra-layer hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale layers: a case study of the No. 5 shale layer of the No. Ⅲ sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the Paleogene Hetaoyuan Formation in the deep sag area of Biyang Sag, Nanxiang Basin
title_sort geochemical effects of intra layer hydrocarbon micro migration in shale layers a case study of the no 5 shale layer of the no iii sand group in the upper submember of the third member of the paleogene hetaoyuan formation in the deep sag area of biyang sag nanxiang basin
topic ud shale
intra-layer micro-migration
geochemical effect
no. 5 shale layer
biyang sag
nanxiang basin
url https://www.sysydz.net/cn/article/doi/10.11781/sysydz2025040847
work_keys_str_mv AT dongmeizhang geochemicaleffectsofintralayerhydrocarbonmicromigrationinshalelayersacasestudyoftheno5shalelayerofthenoiiisandgroupintheuppersubmemberofthethirdmemberofthepaleogenehetaoyuanformationinthedeepsagareaofbiyangsagnanxiangbasin
AT shuifuli geochemicaleffectsofintralayerhydrocarbonmicromigrationinshalelayersacasestudyoftheno5shalelayerofthenoiiisandgroupintheuppersubmemberofthethirdmemberofthepaleogenehetaoyuanformationinthedeepsagareaofbiyangsagnanxiangbasin
AT yanyanzhang geochemicaleffectsofintralayerhydrocarbonmicromigrationinshalelayersacasestudyoftheno5shalelayerofthenoiiisandgroupintheuppersubmemberofthethirdmemberofthepaleogenehetaoyuanformationinthedeepsagareaofbiyangsagnanxiangbasin
AT pengsu geochemicaleffectsofintralayerhydrocarbonmicromigrationinshalelayersacasestudyoftheno5shalelayerofthenoiiisandgroupintheuppersubmemberofthethirdmemberofthepaleogenehetaoyuanformationinthedeepsagareaofbiyangsagnanxiangbasin
AT changranzhou geochemicaleffectsofintralayerhydrocarbonmicromigrationinshalelayersacasestudyoftheno5shalelayerofthenoiiisandgroupintheuppersubmemberofthethirdmemberofthepaleogenehetaoyuanformationinthedeepsagareaofbiyangsagnanxiangbasin